She was willing to bear the consequences of her past willfulness, a pity for her two sons who came into this world at such a young age. For so many years, they were constantly urged by Master Zhu to study hard. While the illegitimate sons indulged in feasting and merriment, they studied. While the illegitimate sons caused trouble outside, they still studied, as if their world held nothing but books. They were filial and wanted to spare her worry. If they had known she would be sending them to the grave before her time, she would never have confined them to the study, but let them live their lives to the fullest.
The pillow of Madame Zhu was once again soaked. In the past few days, she felt as though she had shed all the tears of her lifetime. She thought she would not cry anymore, but tears still came.
She had also considered confronting the couple. If not for them, her sons would not have died. Suddenly, she felt powerless. Firstly, the other party possessed formidable martial arts and excellent medical skills, leaving her helpless. Secondly, even if they were all dead, her sons would not return.
Thus, in just a few days, she was on her last breath, her face pale and ashen. Everyone who saw her shook their heads, preparing for the funeral. The illegitimate sons were overjoyed, never expecting to have their day to take charge in this lifetime. They rushed to her side, fawning over her. Although they knew she disliked them and did not want to see them, the position of the head of the Zhu family had not yet been settled, and if they did not try, they felt they would regret it.
Looking at them, Madame Zhu was reminded of her two sons, her heart aching even more. But no matter what she said, they pretended not to understand. Madame Zhu, utterly vexed, finally decided to hand over the position of family head to the fourth son.
The fourth son looked up at Madame Zhu in disbelief, unable to believe that such good fortune had fallen into his lap. He was usually the most taciturn, never seeking her favor. His concubine mother often despaired of his lack of ambition, but this was his nature. He envied his third brother's eloquent speech and his fifth brother's innocent charm, but he could not emulate them. Each time, his mother would sigh helplessly, thinking her son would be like this his whole life. To think that the madam, who had always overlooked him, would entrust him with such a great responsibility of the Zhu family at this crucial moment.
Although Madame Zhu wished to follow her sons to the afterlife, she had lived in the Zhu family for so many years and did not want to see the family ruined. She had long considered this matter. Among these illegitimate sons, only the fourth son possessed some genuine talent. Entrusting the Zhu family to him might not lead to great prosperity, but at the very least, he could maintain the status quo, and there would be no worries for decades. As for the future status of the Zhu family, it would be up to the next generation to create, not something she could control or foresee.
His brothers immediately looked at the fourth son with envy. In front of Madame Zhu, they expressed their strong dissatisfaction. Unfortunately, Madame Zhu paid them no mind. Although she was gravely ill, she still had the final say in this household. She, despite her illness, summoned the housekeeper and all the stewards, announced this news, and instructed the housekeeper to guide the fourth son in familiarizing himself with the procedures.
Seeing his grateful expression, Madame Zhu waved her hand wearily. This was the last thing she could do for the Zhu family. A few days later, news of Madame Zhu's death spread. Wu Caiwei paused for a moment, then continued with her tasks as if nothing had happened. She had long heard that the death of her son had been a great blow to Madame Zhu, and she had been unwell for the past few days. Her passing did not surprise anyone, though it was met with some sighing.
A few days later, news of the death of Elder Uncle Li also arrived. Li Zixin had already forgotten about him and only reacted after a moment. When he had been carried out of the county yamen, Li family members had taken him back. He had initially thought that the Li family members would be unwilling to care for such a patient, but he had lived for so long. However, in his condition, his end must have been filled with suffering.
He went through the motions of returning to the countryside and wept bitterly, spending a large sum of money to buy him a good coffin and hold a grand funeral. The clan members even said he was righteous and benevolent. After all, given what he had done, Li Zixin still showed filial piety as a nephew.
Afterward, they lived a low-key and peaceful life in Lan City. Yu Jie was ashamed of her childhood memories. Her days at the Zhang residence were the happiest of her life. If she had known it would turn out this way, she would have left with her mother long ago. As an adult, she was capable of handling matters independently, having been trained under Wu Caiwei for so many years. When Wu Caiwei asked her what kind of man she liked, preparing to arrange a marriage for her, she stated that she wanted to take a live-in husband and did not wish to leave the Zhang family in this lifetime.
Wu Caiwei respected her wishes and, after much deliberation, chose a man from a large family with many siblings, struggling to survive. She gave their family a substantial sum of silver to buy land, and the man happily followed her to the city.
From their current interactions, it appeared the man genuinely loved their daughter. However, Wu Caiwei dared not let her guard down, having experienced so many worlds and encountered so many bizarre events. Who knew if he was merely pretending? But Wu Caiwei believed that as long as she and Zhang Changhe were alive, the man would not dare to act presumptuously.
Fortunately, Yu Jie's judgment in this life was much better than in the previous one. The couple loved each other dearly and had four children in a lifetime.
After a brief separation, they were able to reunite. Each time, Zhang Changhe did not want to leave her alone in this world. Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, from their first meeting, he was always the one who left first, and this life was no exception. Wu Caiwei sat by his bedside, quietly watching him close his eyes. After living at the Zhang residence for a while, she also passed away. When she returned to the virtual space, she found that the golden water in the bottle was almost full.
Her heart fluttered with panic, not knowing what this meant, but she had a feeling something bad was about to happen.
To quell her inner turmoil, she quickly entered the next mission.
"Hurry up and leave, stop pretending. Who doesn't know you're still pining for that man?" The man in front of her looked at her with scorn.
Although he tried to appear indifferent, Wu Caiwei still detected a hint of bitterness in his eyes, indicating their relationship was not ordinary. By chasing her out in front of so many people, he seemed to have no intention of turning back. As for Wu Caiwei, not understanding the situation, she dared not speak rashly. Since he had driven her away, there was no need for her to cling on desperately, especially when he had handed her a letter as he spoke. She opened it and saw the large characters "Divorce Agreement" written on it.
Watching her turn and leave without hesitation, the man stretched out his hand, opened his mouth, and then helplessly let it fall. To say he had no feelings for her would be a lie, but with someone else occupying her heart, no one could accept it. He could only choose to let go and start anew.